Is crossing paths with a black cat really bad luck? I’ve never thought so. In fact, if you look at my vacation photos, you’ll usually find at least one picture of a black cat. (What you won’t be able to see is me squealing in excitement, followed by a few minutes of pssp-pssp-pssp-pssping and trying to lure the foreign animal into my lap, but you can probably imagine it.)
Black cats have brought an immeasurable amount of joy into my life. I’ve been lucky enough to share my home with several. One tiny black cat named Kuso chose to adopt herself and her entire family into our home; she brought her kittens up to my parents’ porch, one at a time. The message couldn’t have been more clear if she’d bundled them up into a wicker basket with a note: “Take care of my babies.” We did, and using the cries of her newborn kittens as bait, we managed to lure her into the house so we could make sure she was taken care of, as well.
Kuso’s decision to cross paths with our family brought good luck to us all in the form of years of love and companionship. She passed away several years ago, and two of the three kittens have left this world as well, but she left a mark on all of us. I was inspired by her instincts and determination, and decided to write a story called “Bad Luck Bridget” about the way crossing paths with a black cat can change your luck… and your life.
“Bad Luck Bridget” was recently published in Cat Ladies of the Apocalypse, an anthology of hopeful stories, badass women, and fearless felines. Cat Ladies of the Apocalypse is now available in ebook from all your favorite retailers, and in paperback from Amazon (signed paperbacks will be available in my store shortly).
To celebrate the release of CAT LADIES, I live-streamed myself hanging out on my porch as I remembered Kuso and her kittens.
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Need even more cat-themed stories in your life?
Don’t miss these:
Volume two of FROM A CAT’S VIEW contains 18 new stories written by authors from around the world who appreciate a cat’s unique sensibilities.
Fantasy, paranormal, contemporary and historical fiction–something for everyone. Like the first volume, you can expect to be terrified and delighted, to laugh… and to cry. But know:
These aren’t grandmother’s cat stories.
The haunted town of Donn’s Hill is used to ghosts, but not to murder. It’s up to psychic Mackenzie Clair and her clever tortoiseshell cat to solve the case before anyone else joins the ranks of spirits wandering the town.
Don’t miss the first book in the award-winning Soul Searchers Mysteries!
And for the dog lovers out there, meet Bear (the best sidekick a superhero could ask for) in:
Tess doesn’t know where she fits into this new, super-powered world. But when people around her start disappearing, she can’t just sit on the sidelines. Teaming up with The Fox to create the world’s first superhero duo might be the only way to rid her city of evil and save the people she loves most.